Successful remission with tofacitinib in a patient with refractory bullous systemic lupus erythematosus
Ju Yang, Jiangtao Li, Lianjie Shi
Abstract
Dear Editor, Bullous SLE (BSLE) is an extremely uncommon subtype of SLE. In addition to the characteristics of SLE, the BSLE is characterized by rapid and extensive tension blister. Furthermore, it may also be accompanied by urticaria, rash, erosion, pruritus and skin ulcer. Glucocorticoid and immunosuppressants have been used successfully to treat SLE [1]. However, these therapeutic options for SLE are not usually fit for BSLE. Hence, there is still no specific drug for BSLE. Here, we describe a patient with BSLE resistant to traditional treatments in whom tofacitinib (TOF), a selective Janus kinase (JAK) 1 and 3 inhibitor, successfully induced and sustained a remission. A 33-year-old Chinese female with a medical history of SLE visited our hospital complaining of erythema, blister and bullae. SLE developed with repeated thrombocytopenia and haemolytic anaemia when she was 23 years old, in 2010. She was diagnosed with SLE based on...